Chicken stock is an essential component of so many recipes. If youāre someone who uses a lot of stock and often prepares meals for the family, you might be wondering if itās possible to make chicken stock ahead of time and freeze it for a later date?Ā
Can You Freeze Chicken Stock?
Yes, you can freeze chicken stock for up to 3 months. Allow your stock to cool before deciding on how best to freeze it. Depending on your desired portion sizes, you can either store it in a freezer-safe container or add stock to an ice cube tray.
Do Does Chicken Stock freeze well? Yes
Can you refreeze Chicken Stock? No
How to Freeze Chicken Stock
If you use chicken stock in lots of different recipes, then youāre probably attracted to the idea of making it in batches and freezing it. This has the potential to save you lots of time in the kitchen and means you can access chicken stock as and when you need it.
Here are the simple steps you need to take to freeze chicken stock:
- Prepare and Cool: Follow your favourite recipe (such as this one) to prepare your chicken stock with boiling water and other additional ingredients. Then, leave it out to sit at room temperature until it has thoroughly cooled.Ā
- Pour Into a Suitable Container or Bag: Once cooled, choose a suitable container or bag to freeze your chicken stock in. A Tupperware box will work perfectly fine, or you can use a thick freezer-safe bag if you prefer. At this stage, we would suggest splitting your stock into individual portion sizes.
- Label and Freeze: Write todayās date and the use-by date on the lid or bag and place it in the freezer. Remember, you can freeze the chicken stock for around 3 months.
What is the Best Way to Freeze Chicken Stock?
The best way to freeze chicken stock comes down to how you use it. There are actually a few options.
You can reduce your chicken stock, so it becomes more concentrated. This concentrated chicken stock can then be frozen into ice cubes which can be added to your cooking in future.
If, however, you don’t want to reduce your stock, then freezing it in small Tupperware containers is the best way to freeze it. Make sure one container equals one portion so you can quickly defrost a portion at a time.
4 Tips for Freezing Chicken Stock
Now you know how to freeze it, we’ve got our 4 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing chicken stock to have the best results:
Freeze in an Ice Cube Tray
If you like accessing smaller portions of chicken stock for your recipes, you can freeze it in your ice cube tray. Once frozen, you can empty the stock ice cubes into a freezer-safe bag and easily take out the required stock for your upcoming recipes.Ā
Refrigerate For a Week
You can keep chicken stock in the fridge for up to seven days without needing to freeze it. Make sure itās well covered, and you can return to it throughout the week if you prepare several recipes that call for its inclusion.Ā
Use From Frozen
If youāre adding chicken stock to the likes of soup, you donāt need to worry about thawing your cubes (or indeed individual portions) in advance. You can add it straight to the pan, and it will quickly thaw and combine with the other ingredients. However, if you want to defrost chicken stock before you cook it, we explain the process in detail below.
Freeze Any Type of Stock
Although these instructions deal with chicken stock, you can freeze vegetable, beef, or lamb stock in precisely the same way.
How Long Can You Freeze Chicken Stock?
You can freeze chicken stock for around 3 months. Itās probably safe to freeze it slightly longer than this, but we would advise using your stock within this period to ensure itās as tasty and delicious as you would hope!
After the 3 months, the flavour will degrade, and you’ll be left with slightly watery stock – that defeats the point of making your own in the first place!
Homemade chicken stock can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. It should be kept in a bowl covered in cling film or Tupperware containers.
How Do You Defrost Chicken Stock?
As mentioned, you donāt need to defrost chicken stock before using it if you donāt want to. However, if you want to thaw your stock, remove it from the freezer and allow it to defrost in the fridge.
If you donāt have time to wait for the several hours that it takes to thaw, you can defrost chicken stock in the microwave on its lowest setting before adding it to your chosen recipe.
Can You Refreeze Chicken Stock?
You should only freeze chicken stock once. If youāre concerned about waste and typically prepare more stock than you need at any given time, you should consider reducing your stock portion sizes before freezing it.
As introduced above, freezing your stock in an ice cube tray is a handy way to reduce the portion size and quickly access smaller stock servings as and when needed.
Does Chicken Stock Freeze Well?
Chicken stock freezes exceptionally well. As itās predominantly made from water, it will freeze like any other water-based substance.
You can also benefit from the fact that you donāt necessarily need to defrost chicken stock before using it in your chosen recipe, which saves you even more time and hassle in the kitchen.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing chicken stock or stock in general, then these may help:
Yes, vegetable stock can be frozen in bags or Tupperware containers for around 4 months. Once cooled, portion it out into containers, seal and freeze.
Yes, you can freeze fish stock for around 3 months before the flavour degrades. If you’re freezing multiple stocks, then ensure you label them clearly so you don’t accidentally defrost a fish stock when you need chicken stock!
